Wrench.



F. C. MILLER.

WRENCH.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY4,1912.

FIGJ FIG. 2

FIG. 3 J 5;

WITNESSES '7 'm ENTm: amaze] W BY z i @JM 6 55:1. AWE;

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN C. MILLER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in renches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had there in to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to wrenches, and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a quick-acting nut wrench that will facilitate the work of a machinist or other artisan; second, to provide a strong and durable nut wrench consisting of comparatively few parts that can be easily assembled; third, to provide an adjustable nut wrench with a novel adjusting mechanism that is inexpensive to manufacture, and fourth, to accomplish the above results by a tool that is highly eflicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench in accordance with this invention with the handle plate thereof removed showing the adjusting mechanism, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the wrench, partly broken away and partly in section, Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the wrench, and Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail perspective views of parts of the adjusting mechanism.

A wrench in accordance with this invention comprises a shank 1 that is substantially rectangular in cross section, said shank having the rear side thereof rounded, as at 2. The outer end of the shank 1 has a jaw 3 presenting a fiat gripping surface A at the front side of the shank 1. The inner end of the shank 1 is cylindrical, as at 5 and provided with screw threads 6. The inner end of the shank is reduced to provide a cylindrical portion 7 and mounted upon the reduced end is a nut 8.

Slidably mounted upon the shank 1 is a jaw body 9 that has the outer end thereof provided with a jaw 10 having a fiat grip- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 4, 1912.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

Serial No. 695,194.

ping surface 11 confronting the gripping surface 4 of the jaw 3. The jaw 10 is formed integral with a strap 12 that embraces the shank 1 and the inner end of the jaw body 9 has a strap 13 that also embraces the shank 1 and cooperates with the strap 12 in retaining the jaw body at the front side of said shank. The inner end of the jaw body 9 has a lug 1 1 at the front side of the shank 1, said lug being bent into an annular groove 15 formed in the outer cylindrical end 16 of a handle 17 that incloses the inner end of the shank 1. The outer end of the handle 17 has a longitudinal bore 18 for the cylindrical portion 5 of'the shank 1, said shank extending into a compartment 19 provided therefor in the handle 17. The threaded and reduced end of the shank extends through an opening 20 provided therefor in a partition 21 arranged in the compartment 19, said partition forming another compartment 22 for the reduced end of said shank. The side of the handle 17 has a rectangular opening 23 that is in communication with the compartment 19. The opening 23 is closed by a handle plate 241 that is seated in the handle 17 and retained in engagement therewith by screws 25 or other fastening means.

Arranged within the compartment 22 is a coiled compression spring 26 that encircles the reduced encl 7 of the shank 1, between the nut 8 and the partition 21. Easy access is had to the compartment 22 for placing the spring 26 and the nut 8 thereof through the medium of an opening 27 in the inner end of the handle 17, said opening being normally closed by a detachable plug 28.

Arranged within the compartment 19 and transversely thereof is a locking mechanism, comprising oppositely disposed cooperating members 29 and 30. The outer ends of these members are provided with trunnions 31 that are loosely mounted in the walls of the compartment 19 of the handle 17. The outer ends of said members are provided with arms 32 and 33, the arms 33 having sockets 34 to receive the ends of the arms 32, as best shown in Fig. 1. The inner ends of the members 29 and 30 are provided with clutches 35 that engage the threaded portion 6 of the shank 1. The clutches 35 are normally held in en agement with the threaded portion of t e shank by coiled compression springs 36 that are interposed between said clutches and the front and rear walls of the compartment 19.

Extending through the front wall of the handle 17 is a push pin 37 that has the inner end thereof loosely mounted in an opening 38 provided therefor in the member 30. The push pin 37 has a collar 39 that limits the outward movement of said push pin.

WVith the clutches 35 in engagement with the threaded portion 6 of the shank 1, the handle 17 can be rotated relatively to said shank to minutely adjust the jaw 3 relative to the jaw 10 for gripping the facets of a nut. To quickly adjust the jaw 3 relative to the jaw 10, the pin 37 is pushed inward, said pin shifting the member 30 and said member, through the medium of the arms 32 and 33, simultaneously shifts the member 29. The clutches 35 are therefore moved in unison out of engagement with the threaded portion (3 of the shank 1 and the shank 1 can be quickly adjusted with respect to the handle 17. The spring 26 is utilized for drawing the jaw 3 toward the jaw 10 when the clutches are released. A coiled compression spring 36 is utilized for restoring the clutches 35 to the normal position in engagement with the threaded portion 6 of the shank 1.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the locking mechanism is embodied within the handle of the wrench and is therefore not liable to be injured when the wrench is subjected to rough usage. The cooperating members 29 and 30 are readily positioned within the handle 17.

It is thoughtthat the operation and utility of the wrench will be apparent without further description, and I would have it understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible of such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is 1. A wrench comprising a shank, a jaw carried by the outer end thereof, said shank having the inner end thereof provided with a cylindrical portion, a threaded portion and a reduced end, a jaw slidably mounted upon said shank, a handle having the outer end thereof rotatably connected to said aw, said handle having a longitudinal bore to receivethe cylindricalportion of said shank, and compartments to receive the threaded portion thereof and the reduced end thereof, a coiled spring encircling the reduced end of said shank within one of the compartments of said handle and adapted to draw the jaw of said shank toward said .slidable jaw, oppositely disposed cooperating members arranged within the other compartment of said handle and having as an integral part thereof spring pressed clutches retained normally in engagement with the threaded portion of said shank, and a push pin extending into said handle and engaging one of said members for simultaneously shifting both of said members.

2. A wrench comprising a shank having the inner end thereof provided with a cylindrical portion, a threaded portion and a reduced end, a aw carried by the outer end of said shank, a jaw slidably mounted upon said shank, a handle having the outer end thereof rotatably connected to said jaw, said handle having a bore formed therein and compartments to receive the inner end of said shank, said handle having an opening formed therein in communication with one of said compartments, a handle plate nor mally closing said opening, cooperating members arranged within said handle and having as an integral part thereof spring pressed clutches normally engaging the threaded portion of said shank, and means extending into said handle for simultaneously moving said members.

3. A wrench comprising a shank having the inner end thereof provided with a threaded portion, a fixed jaw carried by the outer end of said shank, a jaw slidably mounted upon said shank, a handle having the outer end thereof rot-atably connected to said jaw, said handle having a bore and compartment formed therein to receive the inner end of said shank, said handle having openings formed therein in communication with the compartments of said handle, a plate closing one of said openings, a plug closing the other of said openings, oppositely disposed cooperating members arranged in one of the compartments of said handle and having as an integral part thereof spring pressed clutches normally engaging the threaded portion of said shank, a push pin extending into said handle and engaging one of said members for simultaneously moving said members, and means arranged in the other compartment of said handle to facilitate adjusting said shank relatively to the jaw of said handle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN C. MILLER.

Witnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovI'rz, K. H. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

